Azmin gives Anwar an ultimatum
Anwar had no choice but to override Wan Azizah. She, of course, is sore that Anwar pulled rank on her but she has no alternative or else PKR risks losing Selangor. She knows this is not just about GE14 but also about the PKR leadership contest later this year when Azmin is expected to challenge her for the party presidency. Hence the GE14 candidates’ list is just the beginning of a bitter war looming over the horizon.
THE CORRIDORS OF POWER
Raja Petra Kamarudin
(Malay Mail Online, 23 April 2018) – PKR deputy president Datuk Seri Azmin Ali is meeting de facto party leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim now, amid a rift over election candidates who have reportedly been rejected by president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
The party source who wished to not be named said Azmin is visiting Anwar at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre. The former arrived at around 10.30am, and was still talking with Anwar at 12.30pm.
“He arrived here around 10.30am, and is still in discussions. The meeting is taking place in the hospital itself.
“It would go on until they are done sorting out the topic of discussion,” the source said.
The source however declined to elaborate the nature of discussions being held, and the reason Anwar is currently admitted to the hospital.
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An hour before Malaysia Today published the article ‘Kit Siang’s hidden hand neutralising Azmin Ali’ (READ HERE), Selangor Menteri Besar cum PKR Deputy President, Azmin Ali, rushed over to meet Anwar Ibrahim in prison. Well, actually Azmin went to meet Anwar in hospital but technically he met Anwar in prison, which is a violation of the prison rules.
By then it had been confirmed that PKR’s candidates’ list had already been prepared and many of Azmin’s people had been dropped. The mainstream media even quoted those such as Tian Chua saying that he had been dropped and indicated where Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Nurul Izzah Anwar would be contesting.
Anwar was put into the unenviable situation of having to choose between Azmin and Wan Azizah
One candidate on that list that puzzled everyone was Ezam Mohd Nor. He was back in as a PKR candidate after leaving the party to join Umno, and then joining PPBM for three months, and then forming his own party, now known as Parti Jubin, for just one week, before abandoning that as well.
Ezam thought he could get back into PKR as a candidate for Selangor and he tried working on that through Azmin. But Azmin knew Ezam was playing a double game because at the same time he was all cosy with Nurul Izzah, in more ways than one.
Nurul Izzah wanted Ezam in and Azmin wanted him out and Azmin won
Ezam needed this break after failing to get anywhere since he started his political career. Ezam contested the general election only once in 1999, and lost, and was never chosen to contest again after that. Even Tukang Karut Mat Sabu is better than Ezam having contested seven times and winning twice in those seven times.
Azmin told Anwar he wanted his people back on the candidates’ list. Ezam must also be dropped from the list and Nurul is not to contest a state seat in Selangor.
Azmin did not want want Nurul Izzah to contest a state seat in Selangor
Azmin cautioned Anwar that some of his people are currently negotiating with PAS and that they are ready to walk over to PAS if PKR drops them. PAS will even accept the non-Muslim candidates as they plan to field a number of non-Muslims in GE14. With the PKR dissidents, PAS and Umno, Azmin told Anwar they will have enough seats to form a ‘Unity State Government’ in Selangor.
Anwar had no choice but to override Wan Azizah. She, of course, is sore that Anwar pulled rank on her but she has no alternative or else PKR risks losing Selangor. She knows this is not just about GE14 but also about the PKR leadership contest later this year when Azmin is expected to challenge her for the party presidency. Hence the GE14 candidates’ list is just the beginning of a bitter war looming over the horizon.
